FOOTBALL

Loving defense dominant, Falcons win opener

Matt Hollinshead
Carlsbad Current-Argus
Loving's Dalton Mendoza grabs Carlsbad JV's Marc Brannan for a tackle in the second quarter Thursday.

CARLSBAD — When Carlsbad JV came right at Loving's defensive front, the Falcons were ready.

Loving quickly recognized where Cavemen ball carriers ran to and applied extra pressure up front. The Falcons also delivered in big moments, from fumble recoveries and key stops on third and fourth downs to recording tackles for losses defending in the red zone.

It all added up, and Loving secured an emotional 8-6 season-opening win on Thursday night.

"We were trying to neutralize the run because all they did was run against us. Most of the time, they couldn't run their base runs. They had to pull things out of nowhere to run against us," senior linebacker Dalton Mendoza said. "Our defensive guards, they were hitting those B gaps really hard."

Loving's Anthony Granado gets a stop at the Carlsbad JV 1-yard line in the second quarter Thursday.

Although Loving had lapses where it surrendered some 5 and 10-yard plays and eventually the first touchdown of the night, a 3-yard touchdown run by Carlsbad JV's Marc Brannan, the Falcons didn't break.

They kept tracking down Cavemen players, grabbed hold of them and showed no mercy. And whenever Loving had trouble staying in front during one-on-one coverage, an extra defender was nearby to ensure Carlsbad JV didn't get far.

Loving's Robert Franco (8) and Brandon Rainey (28) combine for a tackle in the second quarter Thursday at Carlsbad JV.

Loving sophomore quarterback Kevin Gut-Omen scored a go-ahead 12-yard touchdown run, plus a two-point conversion, after sophomore defensive tackle Cyris Hernandez recovered his second fumble of the night at the Cavemen 12-yard-line with about six minutes left in regulation.

"Coach [Mark Lopez] taught us to get through the line," said Hernandez, who also had one sack.

Both sides did next to nothing on offense, but Loving's defense was tremendous all night.

Even on fourth-and-12, the Falcons' offense decided to go for it. Given the circumstances, it wasn't crazy at all.

Lopez said he was confident the defense would take care of business each time.

"They understood what was coming, and they were prepared," Lopez said. "In a game this tight, there's just so many momentum swings. As the game went on, we just got a little better each time. We were able to get those stops when we needed them. It's huge for our confidence."

Loving's Cristian Zacarias fights for extra yards in the second quarter Thursday at Carlsbad JV.

Mendoza, who recorded plays like a tackle for a loss of five yards, said Thursday's game was the best overall performance he's seen out of Loving's defense at least since he started playing for the Falcons four years ago.

"Those were really emotional and intense moments for all of us," Mendoza said.

Loving (1-0) will play at 7 p.m. next Friday at Hagerman.

"We can't rely on just shutting people down. We've got to be able to get some points on the board," Lopez said.

SUMMARY

LOVING 8, CARLSBAD JV 6

Loving          0  0  0  8 - 8

Carlsbad JV  0  0  0  6 - 6

Fourth quarter

CHS - Marc Brannan 3 run (extra point no good), 10:42

LHS - Kevin Gut-Omen 15 run (Gut-Omen 2-point conversion), 5:32

Up next for Loving: 7 p.m. next Friday at Hagerman

Up next for Carlsbad JV: 6 p.m. Sept. 8 at Lovington JV

Current-Argus Sports Editor Matt Hollinshead may be reached at 575-628-5518, mhollinshead@currentargus.com or @MattH_717 on Twitter.